Why Empire Had to Cut Down on Celebrity Guest-Stars

After a celeb-filled first half of Season 2 there simply wasn’t enough story space for many big-name guest actors for the second half, says showrunner Ilene Chaiken, “We have a story to tell and the story is about the Lyon family," she says. "They are the stars of the show, and we really wanted to devote the time we have each week.”

Zweibel, one of SNL’s original writers, immediately hit it off with Garry Shandling when he was asked to consult on a proposed Showtime special. “Writing with someone so one of them could deliver the material while playing themselves is a more complicated situation," he says. " Because to be able to put words in Garry’s mouth that he could deliver with comfort, it was necessary for me to get to know every aspect of his being. His biography. Likes. Insecurities. Penchants. Perverse spins on the otherwise mundane. The stuff of comedy. The stuff of marriage.” PLUS: Kevin Nealon looks back at his 35-year friendship with Shandling, Kathy Griffin recalls going on a date with Shandling, and Garr was the late-night star who never was.

The events of the ABC comedy are supposed to correspond to approximately 20 years ago. But creator Nahnatchka Khan says: "We’ll have times when we're confident that something took place in 1995, only to have it occur in 1997. For the Halloween episode, we made some references to the movie Scream until we realized it actually came out in 1996."

L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan recalls working with Duke on her memoir, Call Me Anna, which delved into her bipolar disorder: "Perhaps what I remember most vividly about Anna was the way she managed to distill wisdom out of the worst things that had happened to her. Here is advice she took from then-husband, actor John Astin, who told her at an especially bleak moment, 'If you keep living the truth of your life, that, not the mistakes or exaggerations, is what will endure. If you live your life in truth, the truth will out.’” PLUS: Sean Astin pays tribute to his mom, and Duke was the original survivor of dysfunctional child stardom.

The NBA star and his actress wife will be featured in a show about flipping homes in Florida. Meanwhile, Parenthood alum Monica Potter and her sisters will star in a reality show about restoring their Cleveland family home.

"Mental health is no joke or laughing matter, The LAD Bible creators wrote in response to the Prison Break star’s open letter. "We certainly didn’t want to cause you pain by reminding you of such a low point in your life. Causing distress and upset to innocent or vulnerable people is simply not acceptable.”